Club HistoryIn 1976, then Runai of the club Jimmy Ryan, endeavoured to put together a history of Kilbrittain GAA club from 1904 up to 1976. He produced the first written history of the club 'A Club and A Tradition'.
In 2001, a committee headed by Barry O'Sullivan and Sean Quinlan, was set up to record the history of Kilbrittain GAA club to coincide with the Centenary of the club in November 2004. The book 'Kilbrittain GAA 1904-2004 Our Gods and Our Heroes' was finally finished during 2005. The following history is primarily based on the information gathered for and printed in both publications. Cover photos:
Intermediate Hurling captain Dan O'Connell raises the county trophy after winning the Intermediate hurling county in 1995. Medal on left is first medal won by a member of the club for West Cork Junior A hurling championship in 1904. Medal on right is most recent West Cork medal at time of book publication. U21 A hurling West Cork 2004. Early Days
Kilbrittain parish is situated between Bandon, to the north, Timoleague, to the west and Courceys parish to the east. With the atlantic ocean to the south!. While the GAA club was officially formed in november 1904, hurling and football were played in the area in earlier years and there are references to games played in the area long before the formation of the club.The following poem was published in 'The Southern Star' in the 1930's prior to a hurling match between Kilbrittain and Bandon. Kilbrittain Poem
The following poem tells of the deeds of Kilbrittain players around the mid 1800's, long before the founding of the GAA. Sure my heart with joy is beating, And the tears of friendship flow, While recalling of Kilbrittain, And the hurlers long ago. Heroes names enshrined in memory, Redolent with deeds sublime, Ring again in mystic grandeur, Down the corridors of time. There is gallant Patrick Coughlan, Best and grandest of them all, At that matchless gaelic pastime, When the caman plied the ball. Din Hallissey - God bless you, Your name inspires today, And sure there's with us Pat Ahern, And the peerless James O'Hea. Oft indeed, the valleys echoed, To the thunders of "well done"! And the wondrous deeds performed, When the game was once begun. Champions of the Rebel County! Victors in the swinging fray! Deathless glory is the heirloom, Of the men of yesterday. But thank God! There are successors, To these worthy men of yore, For the youngsters of the parish, Are fast coming to the fore. They are welcome, they are welcome, Show your spirit and be men, Think of grand old Patrick Coughlan, 'Fagh a Ballagh', boys again. (William Kearney) There is written evidence of a football game between 'Spittle' and 'Maryborough' at Timoleague. A report of the game appears in 'The Southern Star' on the 25th June 1893. Maryborough won the tournament match 1-1 to 0-1. On 24th February 1901 a report of another football game is seen. 'Harbour view' beat 'Barleyfield'. The game was played on the grounds of Mr McCarthy of Harbour view. It is presumed that hurling was also played within the parish at this time despite most reports being that of football games as no hurling reports can be found. Despite the lack of hurling reports, these documents proved that the young of the parish were actively playing Gaelic Games before the official formation of the club in November 1904.
Hurling indeed was played all over West Cork with stories in folklore of great hurling matches hundreds of years ago. Parish versus parish with hurling being played in preference to the old football game of 'caid'. when the Gaelic Athletic Association finally arrived in West Cork in 1886-87, hurling it seems had been completely abandoned and the new game of Gaelic football became the game played between all newly formed clubs of the time. Between 1887 and 1905 there was no hurling match played in West Cork and no West Cork team entered the county championships. Due to communication difficulties with the county board, a new West Cork committee was set up in January 1904 to run GAA matters in the area from Kinsale to Bantry. They organised the first official West Cork football championship in 1904. More importantly, they decided to introduce a hurling championship in 1905, the first ever hurling championship to be played in West Cork. The Kilbrittain GAA club was founded in the latter months of 1904 under the guidance of then curate Fr. Dan O'Donovan. Fr. O'Donovan, a native of Ardfield/Rathbarry, was ordained in April 1897. He became curate of Kilbrittain in September 1902 until October 1908 when he was appointed to Ballincollig. Along with Fr O'Donovan, the mentors were Paul Lennord, Mike Sheehan, Jerome Deasy and Danny Ryan. They played their first club hurling challenge game against Bandon in Bandon on St Stephens day. It was played at O'Mahonys field, Castle Road. Kilbrittain were declared the winners scoring three points to Bandon's one. The lowly status of hurling around this time can be seen in the following comments which followed the report of the game. "It is hoped that such a good exhibition of hurling as was thus displayed by two absolutely new teams will encourage a more general revival of this fine manly pastime." Unfortunately the new hurling teams bar one, were all situated towards the eastern side of the Barony. Established football clubs Bandon, Clonakilty and Skibereen Rossas, the only western team, took to hurling immediately, and new clubs like Kilbrittain, Ballinadee, Clogagh and Shannonvale were formed specially for the new hurling championship.
The first championship draw was: Shannonvale v Clogagh, Bandon v Ballinadee, Skibereen v Clonakilty, Kilbrittain a bye. There is no record of the Sannonvale/Clogagh game on 23rd April. Bandon beat Ballinadee, Rossas beat Clon. In the semi-finals, Rossas beat Bandon and a Bandon objection was over-ruled. Kilbrittain beat Clogagh. The first ever West Cork hurling final was played in Clonakilty's new Town Park on 13th august with Kilbrittain emerging winners by 4-10 to 2-05 in a great game. Inaugural champions, Kilbrittain's joy was short lived as Bandon had appealed their objection to County Board who upheld the appeal and ordered the final to be replayed between Bandon and Kilbrittain. The West Cork committee refused to accept the County Board decision and declared Kilbrittain as official champions and presented them with a set of medals. Kilbrittain were deprived of a place in the county championship and it was Bandon who went on to lose 5-13 to 0-2 to Castletownroche. Kilbrittain are still accepted as the first official champions of West Cork in 1905. In November 1905, the club were presented with a beautiful silver cup by the Alcock Stawell-Riversdale family. http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/family-show.jsp?id=2616 The following report appeared in the 'Southern Star' in the same month. The Kilbrittain hurling club in connection with their winning of the West Cork Championship of 1905, and for which they are to be presented with a set of medals by the West Cork committee, have recently been the recipients of a very handsome trophy from Mr. W.Alcock Stawell-Riversdale, of Kilbrittain castle. Kilbrittian were the only team from the 'West' division in the County Board hurling draw for 1906 as Bandon and other south-east teams were in the 'South' division.
Kilbrittain reached the final of the West Cork again in 1906 where they met Knockavilla in the final played in Clonakilty. Knockavilla were victorious on a 6-08 to 2-05 scoreline. Reports from 1907 and 1908 are sketchy. It appears that Kilbrittain were again the only team from the 'West' division in the County Board draws. In West Cork, they were drawn against Rosscarbery in the first round and progressed to meet Clogagh in the final. A dispute arose between the teams as to where the game would be played. The row went to the County Board who suggested Cork as a venue for the game in May 1908. We do not know if the game was ever played, but Kilbrittain were declared champions and were again presented with a silver cup by the Alcock Stawell-Riversdale family of Kilbrittain castle. Inscription on the cup reads: "Presented by Mrs. C.Alcock Stawell Riversdale to the members of the Kilbrittain Hurling club to commemorate their aquisition through their first and second teams of the premier honours of the hurling clubs of West Cork in 1907" |
Cover photo:
Kilbrittain Community Grounds "GAA Pitch" Very first medal for the inaugural West Cork Championhsip.
Fr. Dan O'Donovan
Silver cup presented to the Kilbrittain hurling club by Mr. W.Alcock Stawell-Riversdale Esq. after winning the West Cork championship in 1905.
Silver cup presented to Kilbrittain Hurling club by Mrs. C.Alcock Stawell on the occasion of being declared West Cork champions for 1907
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First Kilbrittain Hurling team
Front row l.to r. : Jer Ahern, Tadhg O'Driscoll, Paddy Ahern, Dan O'Mahony (capt), Mick Long.
Middle row l.to r. : Brian O'Driscoll, Sonny Hallissey, Dan Healy, Fr. Dan O'Donovan, Jer Healy, Jim Ahern, John McCarthy.
Back row l.to r. : Mike Sheehan, Jim O'Sullivan, Charley Russell, John Hallissey, Jerome Deasy, Dan Brown, Jack Ahern, Patsy Brown. Danny Ryan.
Front row l.to r. : Jer Ahern, Tadhg O'Driscoll, Paddy Ahern, Dan O'Mahony (capt), Mick Long.
Middle row l.to r. : Brian O'Driscoll, Sonny Hallissey, Dan Healy, Fr. Dan O'Donovan, Jer Healy, Jim Ahern, John McCarthy.
Back row l.to r. : Mike Sheehan, Jim O'Sullivan, Charley Russell, John Hallissey, Jerome Deasy, Dan Brown, Jack Ahern, Patsy Brown. Danny Ryan.